


(Look At You) Strawberry Blonde

by MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, RIORDAN Rick - Works, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Affection, Boys In Love, Canon LGBTQ Character, Carnival, Crushes, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Public Display of Affection, Well - Freeform, not quite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:20:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays/pseuds/MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays
Summary: Nico was—Well, he was losing his mind.He’d changed jackets twice. Sheathed and unsheathed his sword. Took it off his belt. Put it back on. Paced the floor of his cabin until he was sure he must have worn a path in the marble below.He shouldn’t have been nervous. Why was he nervous? Will had asked him out, so it was obvious he liked him, there was no mystery to it. Simple. So why did Nico feel like he was going to shake out of his skin?——Or, Nico/Will first date fluff and banter, with a little bit of actual plot.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 13
Kudos: 146





	(Look At You) Strawberry Blonde

**Author's Note:**

> Giving myself some Joy before I write my next work bc it’s gonna be NOT JOYFUL and I need to prepare myself emotionally

Nico was—

Well, he was losing his mind.

He’d changed jackets twice. Sheathed and unsheathed his sword. Took it off his belt. Put it back on. Paced the floor of his cabin until he was sure he must have worn a path in the marble below.

He shouldn’t have been nervous. Why was he nervous? Will had asked _him_ out, so it was obvious he liked him, there was no mystery to it. Simple. So why did Nico feel like he was going to shake out of his skin?

He went over the conversation in his mind, the question, that short exchange that he had memorized verbatim. They had been in the empty infirmary, rolling bandages on the floor.

_”You know, the carnival’s coming to Long Island.”_

_”Okay.”_

_”You wanna go?”_

_”No. It’s no fun alone, anyways.”_

_”You wouldn’t be alone, dumbass. I mean, do you wanna go with me?”_

_”With—with you?”_

_”Yeah. Yeah, like...as a date?”_

_”...Um. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, okay, that sounds good. Yeah. T-tonight?”_

_”Tonight.”_

And then Will had smiled, packed away his bandages, and left Nico alone on the floor, still stammering like a fool.

Nico sat down on his bed, trying to still his shaking hands. This was so fucking _stupid_. He had slaughtered armies of monsters without a single drop of sweat, he’d flown on Pegasi and almost destroyed himself in the shadows, and he was always fine. Why was a single carnival date with some sunshiney Apollo kid freaking him out so much?

A knock at the door.

Nico shot straight up. He crossed the cabin and threw open the door before his brain could catch up to his body.

Will stood in the doorway, his hand still raised to knock. The first rays of sunset cast a warm orange glow across his face, his clothes, his stupid fucking golden hair.   
  


He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, a faint smile on his lips. “Hi.”

”Hi,” Nico replied dumbly.

”Hi,” Will said again, smiling in earnest. “Ready to go?”

Nico’s hand drifted to his sword, that element of safety he always had on him. His nerves softened a bit as his fingers skimmed across the hilt.

”Ready.”

They started to walk together. Nico didn’t know where to, but he found that he didn’t mind. Will was chattering away, and Nico hung onto every word.

”And Kayla’s all new at the medical stuff, so she’s kinda shit at it. I mean, she does her best, but when Harley came in all burned she didn’t know what the hell to do. She seemed more freaked out by how little he reacted, honestly. And like, yeah, she doesn’t have the healing power like I do, but the burn cream was right there! So you tell me why she bandaged him up as-is and just sent him out to shower! I mean, I found this kid covered in dry bandages over raw burns playing with a literal blowtorch. A fucking _blowtorch_ , Nico!”

Nico laughed quietly. Some people might be annoyed they couldn’t get a word in edgewise, but Nico wasn’t. He didn’t like to talk much, and Will knew that. He talked to fill the silence, allowed the quiet when it felt right, and if Nico ever started to speak, Will shut up right away. And he _listened._

That was one of the things Nico liked about him, he thought. And then stopped having that thought, because that was a confusing and dangerous thought and he just wanted to have fun, for now.

They started out the camp borders, and Nico stopped.

”Wait, were you just planning on walking there?” He asked

Will shrugged. “I mean, yeah, not like I have a car.”

“Did you forget I can basically teleport?”

Will turned to face him, and his eyes were narrow with worry. “Okay, but last time you did that, you literally almost died, so—“

”No, I didn’t,” Nico protested. “I’ve been—“ He took a breath. “Look, I know you said not to, but I’ve been practicing my jumps— _just little ones!_ —and I’m way better now. Traveling two people a few miles should be nothing.”

Will’s face was incredulous. “Okay, first of all, when your doctor tells you something, you need to listen—“

”No, first of all,” Nico interrupted, “You’re not a doctor, you’re sixteen. And second, I’m fine. See? Totally not a shadow!” He turned around, showing off his mostly-solid body.

Will scanned him up and down. He stepped towards Nico and crossed his arms, like he was trying very hard to be serious, then sighed.

”Any dizziness after you travel?”

”None.”

”Any fever, headache, or exhaustion?”

”Uh, no, no, and only a little.”

Will raised an eyebrow. Nico quickly added, “But I’m always tired! It’s, like, no difference!”

Will unfolded his arms, extending a hand towards Nico. “Fine. We can sort out your melatonin issues later.”

Nico rolled his eyes and, with a quick smile that he forgot to hide, grabbed Will’s hand.

They sunk into the darkness together, and Nico could feel Will flail a bit beside him. He gave his hand a quick reassuring squeeze before he stepped out of the black.

They emerged from the shadow of a colorful post. Will stumbled a bit and slowly straightened.

Blinking hard, he said, “That was...not what I’d expected.”

”What? The shadows? Or the traveling?”

”Shut up, or I’ll puke on you.”

Nico laughed again. He’d been doing that quite a lot today. It was odd, but not entirely unwelcome.

As Will caught his breath, Nico realized their hands were very much still clasped together. He quickly withdrew his own, stuffing it instead inside his coat pocket. Will didn’t react.

”Alright,” he said. “I feel less like I’m dissolving, now. Wanna go in?”

”No, Will, I thought I’d stand next to this pole for the rest of the night.”

Will cracked a smile. “Let’s go, then.”

As they entered, Nico found he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the—the _everything_. Colorful lights flashed in every direction, brighter than the stars. Music from speakers was drowned out by the rattle of rollercoasters and laughter. Smells assaulted him from every side, sweet and salty. Fireworks, banners, bulbs, colors, all the colors in the world and beyond overwhelmed his eyes, so used to the darkness. It was incredible.

He looked up to find Will watching him. He quickly looked down. “Sorry,” he muttered.

”Why?” Will asked, his tone light. “It was sweet.”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up. He rushed to say, “I mean, it’s just—we didn’t have this much of _anything_ in...you know, my time. Even now, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”

“Yeah,” Will agreed. “It’s a lot. But it’s good a lot.”

Nico nodded. “Good a lot.”

The moon rose above the horizon as they explored the carnival, beaten dirt paths and littered candy wrappers and flickering light bulbs. Nico ran his fingers over the ribbon-decorated railing as Will used mortal money to buy some kind of tickets.   
  


Will walked back over to Nico, pressing some of them into his hands. “Tickets,” he explained, “for rides and games.”

Nico pointed at the straight-drop rollercoaster, currently filled with screams like the battlefield. ”Rides like—like _that_ , Solace?”

”Why?” Will asked, a cheeky grin splitting his face. “You scared?”

”No. Just didn’t think you’d be eager to be thrown around again, after you hit the deck shadow traveling.”

”I did not _hit the deck,_ I stumbled, which is a normal reaction to bending through space and time.”

”Whatever,” Nico said, and they started walking side by side.

Will won a ring toss, and Nico beat his ass at a water-gun target game. The victory was bitter, though, because Nico needed the rules explained to him four times and he dropped the lollipop he won afterwards. They split some sugary treat called a ‘funnel cake,’ which Nico thought made no sense, seeing as it was neither a funnel or a cake. But it was good, as good as it could be on his shadow-tastebuds, and Will looked funny with powdered sugar in his blonde hair.   
  


Will giggled as he pulled Nico by the jacket to the Ferris wheel, larger than any one he had seen in thirties Venice. Nico did not _giggle_ , but maybe he allowed himself a smile. Maybe that much.

A disinterested teenager buckled Nico in (“This is way more precaution than they took back when I was a kid.” “Serious question, how did any of you survive?”) and slowly, they started upwards.

Nico looked out over the carnival, the parking lot, the city beyond. It all seemed so small, when he was alone in the sky. He liked it.

He looked up. Will was staring again.

  
This time, Nico didn’t look away.

”What?” He asked.

Will let out a breath. “I don’t know.”

His eyes were intense, so different from the usual lightness he carried. Silhouetted by the constellations, Orion and Pelion and Zöe Nightshade, he looked infinite.

”Will?” Nico’s voice was quiet, a hammer to the fragile silence.

Will’s fingers twitched on the rusty safety bar in front of them. Nico didn’t know what was happening. He felt something, something he hadn’t felt before, and it was confusing. Intriguing. Too much.

He shifted an inch away from Will, and the tension between them snapped like a cord. They broke their gaze at the same time. Will let out a little cough, shuffling his feet where they dangled in the air.

”Sorry,” Will muttered.

Nico looked up. Will’s gaze was trained on the sky. “No, it’s—I mean, I—“

Will shook his head, a tiny, jerking motion, his hair catching the moonlight. Nico sighed, just feeling like he’d messed it all up.

He forced himself to straighten and said, “Thank you for bringing me today. I, uh, I had a nice time.”

  
“Had?” Will asked, his head perking up.

“Yeah. I mean, so far, yeah.”

Will shook off the last of his heavy mood. He cracked a smile. “Oh, we’re not done, yet. You don’t even have a giant stuffed bear.”

“What?” Nico asked. “Why would I want that?”

  
“Because it’s a staple, and the thought of you carrying around a stuffed animal taller than you is enough to extend my lifespan.”

And Nico never giggled, but they both laughed, and just like that, it was okay again.

——

Will did, in fact, win him a giant teddy bear. It wasn’t taller than him, but it was closer than he’d like to admit. He struggled to wrap his arms around it as they walked out of the carnival, well past midnight.

When Nico could catch a glimpse over the fur, he saw that Will was holding back laughter.

”Shut up,” Nico grumbled. “You fucking won it, you take it.”

”I didn’t say anything.” Nico could hear the smile in his voice. “But I can take it, if you’d rather.”

”You know what, yeah, so you can see how _unmanageable_ this is.”

He passed it off to Will. In his arms, it looked decent, large without being oversized.

Nico’s mouth fell open. “Oh, come _on_! You’re not even that much taller!”

”No,” Will relented. “I’m just used to carrying stuff for the infirmary, makes the bulk easier.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He led Will to a dark shadow, nestled between two trees, where no one would see them disappear.

”You ready?” He asked.

Will nodded, but fumbled trying to fit his hands around the gigantic bear. Nico laughed and grabbed onto his shoulder instead.

When they materialized in the shadow of the dining pavilion, Nico stumbled more than Will, blinking spots from his eyes.

Will reached out and grabbed Nico’s arm until he was steady. He said his name a few times, but Nico waved him off. “I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’m just tired, it was a lot. I’m good, though.”

Will bit his lip. “Alright,” he relented. “I was gonna suggest we steal some food from the camp store, but maybe we end the night? Before you pass out?”

Nico would have objected, but his first step was wobbly and weak, so he nodded, and they started towards Cabin Thirteen.

They bantered and laughed as always, and Nico couldn’t believe he’d been so nervous at the start of the night. This was just...them, how they always were. They weren’t sun and moon, they weren’t yin and yang. It wasn’t a perfect night, and they weren’t perfect. But it was...yeah. Yeah, it was good.

Nico opened the door, turned around before he stepped back in. Will was close, closer than he’d expected him to be, the bear forgotten at his side.

He stepped closer, a breath away. Nico’s eyes widened.

Will’s eyes flickered down to his lips. “Can I...”

Nico’s hands curled into fists. He liked Will, he did, the way he’d never liked anyone. It was fantastic, filling him to the brim without flooding over, but Nico wasn’t used to this. He had no idea what he was doing. This was...he _wanted_ to, but it was...

Nico took a step back, tiny, pathetic, and he felt his own heart sink at how he must have disappointed Will. He wasn’t ready, though, he just couldn’t.

But Will didn’t seem to mind. He just smiled and backed away, picking up the bear and holding it out to Nico. “Can I at least give you this?” He asked with a smile.

Nico nodded and took it. The fur was still warm from where it had been pressed against Will’s side.

Will ran a hand through his hair, mussing the blonde locks. It didn’t look good, like in the movies, where the hero was messy in a sexy way. He looked like shit, and Nico found his mouth lifting up.

”See you at breakfast,” Will said. “And maybe a bit after.”

”If you’re lucky, Solace.”

”Always am.” Will smiled, bright and warm. And then the door was closed, and Will was gone.

Nico turned and slid down to the floor, his back to the door, the stupid fucking bear stuffed between his knees and his chest. His hands wound up into his hair, and an idiotic grin was stuck on his face no matter how he tried to push it down.

He just went on a date. With Will. Will wanted to kiss him. And...and he didn’t mind when Nico didn’t want to. Will wanted to see him again. And Nico felt the same.

  
Nico was scared, and Will wasn’t telling him not to be. He was letting him feel scared for as long as he needed. It was...fuck, it was _good_.

This was insane. Why was this insane? No, no it wasn’t insane, it made all the sense in the world. A carnival and a bear and sky blue eyes tinted silver by the moon. He wondered if the mind behind them was thinking about his own, black and hooded. For once, he could believe it.

Nico found his footing and started getting ready for bed. He usually stayed up late, hiding in the darkness and isolation that night could provide him, then slept through the first few hours of daylight.

  
But Will wanted to see him at breakfast, and who was Nico to deny him?

**Author's Note:**

> Comment motherfuckers!!!!


End file.
